Rabin assassin’s brother set to leave prison

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Hagai Amir, the brother of Yitzhak Rabin’s assassin Yigal Amir, is scheduled to be released from an Israeli prison after more than 16 years in solitary confinement.

Hagai Amir has served most of his sentence in solitary confinement out of fear that other prisoners would harm him, Ynet reported. Amir, 43, had requested to serve his sentence in a cell with his brother, who also is in solitary confinement, but the request was denied.

In 2006, Hagai Amir was sentenced to an additional year in prison for threatening to kill then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

He was not offered early release since he did not express regret for his part in the crime.

Yigal Amir shot then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on Nov. 4, 1995 at a peace rally in Tel Aviv. Hagai Amir was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and possession of a firearm.